Nightmares
by lilg7
Summary: The pup had no breath in him, no cries of first life, no color of the living. Leetah's sister gave Cutter his silent baby and said, "Sorry for your loss," then disappeared. Slowly the people were vanishing leaving cutter alone in the hut with his dead, bloody pup in his hands. What! What happened?


Cutter and Leetah

It has been eight months and three weeks since the mother of Memory has declared Leetah pregnant and Cutter hasn't gotten an ounce of sleep since. He told Skywise to keep an eye on the pack so he could stay closer to his life mate and soon to be child. Skywise, of course had no objection. He and Cutter have been friends since birth. They always had each others back, and their bond was impenetrable.

One night, cutter was stirred awake violently. His body was drenched In a cold sweat. Skywise was there looking at the stars and watching the sun peak over the hills with his trusty wolf, Starjumper next to him. Skywise turned to him and jumped up and ran to his Chief's side. Cutter curled in a little ball with his wolf nudging at his chin. Cutter tried so hard to keep his composure. He was shaking and forcing himself not to cry. "Hey Cutter? What's up? What is the matter?" Skywise asked him running his hand over Cutter's shoulder. "I… I had a bad dream, a really bad dream…" Cutter said his voice shaking violently. He wrapped an arm around Nightrunner, and pulled the wolf close to him and hugged it tight.

Skywise sat down and listened to the details of the dream: Cutter was watching the pack run around and play with the wolves and their cubs. He was close to town and he always kept one foot towards Leetah's hut. Through the silent bliss of the moment, Cutter heard his beloved life mate screech in pain and agony. Cutter quickly turned and ran to her. He opened the door and ran into her hut. She was gripping the side of her bed screaming and crying. Tears were flowing down her cheek. Cutter knelt beside her and gripped her arm. "Leetah! Leetah! Come on my beloved! Please talk to me!" Cutter nearly cried. Half the village was on her door step and finally her sister ran in and pushed Cutter out of the way. "She is going into labor," her sister said getting her ready to deliver the pups. Cutter explained how he was pacing, and how Leetah's screams rang in his ears. Finally the birthing was over, but the only noise was Leetah's soft sobs. The pup had no breath in him, no cries of first life, no color of the living. Leetah's sister gave Cutter his silent baby and said, "Sorry for your loss," then disappeared. Slowly the people were vanishing leaving cutter alone in the hut with his dead, bloody pup in his hands.

Thankfully that is when Cutter woke up. He knew the birth of his pups was soon, he could smell the new life in the air. He was becoming more frightened and the scent grows stronger with each passing day. But this was his first nightmare, and Skywise was modified. "Cutter I am sure you will have a beautiful pup, and I am sure the Leetah will keep them alive to see their first sun rise," Sky wise said attempting to comfort his chief.

"But-" Cutter started and stopped so he could stop his voice from trembling, "But what if the High Ones see me unfit to father Leetah's cub? What if it was supposed to be Rayek who was supposed to be her life mate and not I?" that thought should never cross a Wolfriders mind. Recognition never lies, and wont betray them now. And it was that reason alone that left Skywise shaking his head. "How could you ever think that?" Skywise started. Cutter looked up at his best friend with question as if begging for him to explain himself and calm his fears. "you know better then I how recognition works! She knows your soul name, for the High Ones sake! There is no way that Snake catcher has the right to your life mate."

Cutter had to agree. The High Ones never led him astray so far. After all why would the High Ones show venom on Cutter after every thing he has done? "yeah I guess your right Skywise." Cutter says then laughs lightly, "then again… I can't think of a time where you were ever wrong." Sky laughed softly and led his chief to lie back down. Cutter gently complied and laid on his back looking up the sky. Nightrunner curled up to Cutter lovingly and licked his cheek. Cutter smiled and pet his wolf as he said a silent prayer to the High Ones to bless his unborn pup.

Three days passed since that night, and the sent of new life Rings in Cutter's nose. The pack is getting excited for their chief, but Cutter's nightmares have just been getting worse. The nights have been so bad that he decided to just stay in Leetah's hut to keep an eye on her. Nightrunner was right outside the door, just in case anything bad were to happen. Leetah was fast asleep, soundly in her bed. Cutter was laying on the floor, he was a sleep, but it was any thing but peaceful. He was moving around nightmares flowing through his head like a rapid river delivering penetrating fear to any one who dares come near it.

In the dream Cutter was holding his pup bouncing the red haired baby on his knee, while Nightrunner was letting the new born pull on his ears and snout. Cutter heard howling so he put his cub on the floor to play with other cubs from both tribes. He ran to the howling. Soon all sound faded his vision got blurry and he heard his baby cry out for him. He turned around and bolted to his son, only to find him in the arms of the a human with a knife to his pups throat. Cutter drew New Moon and charged at the human who held his son. He fought with the human and finally delivered the final blow, stuck his knife into the flesh, the blood splattered every where. Cutter looked at the Kill. The human was gone, and New moon was in the chest of his new born pup. Cutter fell to his knees and let out a scream of distress.

His scream mixed with reality. He awoke to his beloved Leetah's scream. He jumped up, knowing his dream is gone, and this was real. Cutter ran to his life mates side immediately and took her hand. "Please tell me, what is it?" Cutter begged as he felt her grip tighten around his hand in pain. But Leetah couldn't answer, she let out another scream in pain. Half the village flooded the hut. Leetah's sister pushed ever one out of the room saying that the pups were coming. Every one left the hut, and Cutter was kicked outside. He was pacing back and forth his wolf friend at his heals. He let out a soft howl calling his pack. Cutter couldn't help but feel skittish of this day. He has had dreams of this happening, and not all pleasant either. The fear of death was hanging over his head like an ax on a string. Skywise was the first one there guided by the repeated howling and the screams coming for Leetah's quarantined hut.

"What's going on? Why aren't you in there?" Skywise asked as he ran up to his chief. Cutter just kept pacing. "Her sister told me to get out! I knew this day would come," Cutter almost whined in a mix of fear and anxiety. Cutter stopped pacing and stood there with his arms crossed and his foot tapping as if a it were to jump off his leg and start running around in circles. Cutter walked up to the door and opened in. He caught a glimpse of what was happening. Leetah was on the bed pushing the baby out of her, as her sister got up and got in Cutter's face. "You are supposed to wait out there with the rest of them!" She said then shut the curtain. Cutter heard another piercing scream and he wanted to be there so bad his body was shaking with anticipation.

Skywise walked up to him and put a hand on his back. "And who in the heavens does she think she is? Denying a new father the right to his cubs first breath, despicable," he said shaking his head in disagreement, "I would demand to see my cubs, but that is just me I guess." Skywise looked to his chief and smiled. "your right, Skywise, they are my cubs, and I deserve to great them into this world," Cutter said walking up to the curtain again. Leetah's sister again walked up to him and preached as to why he can't go in, but Cutter wouldn't take it. He drew New Moon and pointed it at her, not threateningly, but enough to get her back into the room and allow him in as well.

In the room Cutter took his rightful place by Leetah. He got on his knees and took her hand. Her sister was telling her to push and with each push came another scream. Finally one came out. Leetah's sister quickly handed that to one of the mid-wife's in the room. Cutter was about to get up and go to his baby, concerned with the lack of noise he was making when Leetah let out another scream and her sister announced the arrival of twins. Cutter was to shocked to move. Soon the hut was filled with the noise of his first born pup and Leetah's own screams. Cutter was relived to know that his first born was healthy, but he still had one more to go. Leetah's grip got tighter as the minutes wore on. Soon it was hours that went by. Leetah was still pushing when at last the baby came out. The baby was silent, not a hick up, not a cry, not even the sound of breath. Cutter's heart pounded at the fear of loosing any one of his cubs. The room fell silent as the Mid-wife worked to clear the new born lungs. The only sound was the soft whimpering of Leetah's after pain and Cutter's quivering breath. Finally through deadly silence came the verdict. A soft, screeching cry came from the baby. Cutter let out a sigh of relief and fell against the bed letting his head lay on Leetah's shoulder.

He felt Leetah pet his hair as he kissed her cheek. "you did well my beloved," he said to her listening to the proof of his pups survival as the get wrapped up in two warm blankets. Leetah was to worn out to reply to him but he didn't need one. He was happy there listening to the sounds of his cubs and feeling his life mate's warm hand on his back. He thought nothing could ever surpass this moment in time until Leetah's sister came out with his screaming children, and handed them to Cutter. Cutter graciously took them and held them gently in his arms. He leaned down and rubbed his forehead against theirs lightly and their cries began to soften and their breath began to steady. A smile crossed Cutter's face as he silently thanked the High Ones for this miracle they have given him. That feeling of bliss just a moment again can't hold a candle this moment. The moment a man becomes a father, when he can look into his child's eyes and knows that he is finally complete. He brings his children back to Leetah to share the joy of parenting with her. She holds her new born cub and she smiles. "he looks like you," she said brushing apart of his blond hair out of his face. Cutter smiles and kisses his daughter's head. "They have your eyes, and your lovely smile" Cutter told her. She handed their son back to cutter and named them. They put a mix of both cultures in their family. They named the boy suntop because his birth coincides with the rising of the sun, and his sun blond hair that covers his head. They named the graceful daughter Ember after the lighting in the room when Cutter heard her first breath. "Alright wolf boy," Leetah's sister said to him coming out from cleaning her hands in the bathroom, "go show off you babies to the village, we need to do some post-birth care for Leetah." Cutter took his cubs once again in his arms and kissed Leetah's cheek. Before he walked out.

He opened the curtain with his shoulder, leaving his back to the pack and the village. The moment he turns around he sees Skywise behind him. Bouncing with joy. "He has twins! Way to go Cutter!" Skywise said to him as Cutter allowed him to hold his daughter, "You know, I should have seen something like this happening. You know, you pulling off something great, like twins!" Cutter laughed lightly. He and Skywise showed off his new twins and tough every one their names. They took a vote as to who would take his place as chief in the future. The decision was that Ember would take his place, and Suntop would be trained in the ways of the son people. After that Cutter's day went smoothly. The father's of the tribe gave parenting advice to Cutter and women of Sorrow's End taught Leetah the was to be the best mother she could be. And that night both tribe celebrated the first successful birth of twins. Even the Mother of memory stopped by to great the new born. She told the new family that Suntop had the powers of the high ones, much like her, and that she would love to teach him how to use them. And the Sun- Toucher came and blessed both the cubs and the family as a whole. The nightmares are gone, and the only thing left to do is plan the future.


End file.
